A general feeling of semi-depression with a side of lack of confidence and motivation. Hummm...yep...that's a funk all right :)
In case you hadn't noticed (or hadn't been reading this blog very long), I'm generally a pretty darn happy person (with the exception of late 2009 / early 2010 when I was going through some pretty crappy stuff!). Besides that, I pretty much love my life, love to train, love to be busy and love spending time with my friends and family.. oh..and food, I loooovvvee healthy, yummy good food... oh..and summer. Anyway, I could go on and on about things of that nature.
It's not training per say, because let's be honest, considering how much time I spend doing it, it does impact my mood a bit when it's not going well. I've had a few really hot as buckets runs which have left me wondering just how slow I can get when the heat climbs! I've had a few big weeks where I've nailed it (and definitely a few more where I most certainly have not). Finally, I've had so many things going on outside of training including athletes races, giving speeches, doing a TV interview etc. that have kept me a little too busy, probably more so than I would like.
On Sunday night I had just about had it, it wasn't the weekend, that was great.. but the funk was in full swing and I was just NOT feeling great. Something of a combination of just not wanting to communicate with my coach lately (sorry Justin - "yes, I'm still alive, I'm just going through..well, a funk" was my text message yesterday) and not feeling like working out (soo unlike me!). Maybe it was the mental gymnastics I had to go through in order to fit in about 85% of what I needed to do last week to get the workouts done. Who knows, either way, it was setting in hard and I think the best thing you can do when that happens is to treat yourself well, be thankful, pray for those less fortunate or going through tough stuff (and the list has been long lately) and do your best to get more sleep / try not to think about it.
I still got up Monday AM and swam, and luckily, it seems to be clearing up a little as I taper just a tad wee bit for Eagleman 70.3 this coming weekend. It's safe to say that no matter what you're doing, if you're stretched too thin, will eventually wear on you as you grind it out week in and week out. I've met VERY few athletes who don't get burnt out once in awhile (Beth S., my good friend being one of them, I wish I had her resolve or whatever it is that she does to ward it off!). Most likely, it's the combo of everything, working 40, some weeks getting up around 21 - 22 hours of swim, bike, run, lift time, and just trying to keep too many balls in the air.
Slowly but surely, I think I'm coming out, and I am starting, slowly, to get excited to race this weekend. On Sunday I could have canned it and not even have cared (again, WAY weird for me), but I'm eating well, taking it a bit easier this week (aka using the word "NO") and feeling a bit better.
Riding with the girls on Saturday was wonderful and is so much of the reason why I do this sport. It was just awesome to be out with them seeing the sights and getting in some good time!
Kyle and I had a great date night on Saturday which helped too! We rode the ferris wheel! Does it get any better than that!Does anyone else have trouble with "The Funk" sometimes? What do you do to combat this motivation steeling, life sucking monster? Any good strategies or ideas?
Even the weather has been great! So that's not it either! No complaints from this chick!
I've been getting fit on the bike, but have decided not to change it up right before a big race like Eagleman. It just doesn't make sense. Coach is running these pics through silicon sometime soon to see if we are on the right track with my long femur!
Blue, five years old and still kickin. Blue's first half ironman race was Eagleman in 2006 (well, mine too!), so it will be nice to be back on the saddle again!
Somehow I've been chosen as one of the pictures in a "picture contest" for the Dick's Half Marathon from a few weeks ago.
They did this with the shot which was pretty cool! I'm not sure they are still voting but you can check it out!
Thanks for the thoughts as always! Keep up the good work friends!!
